Author: Stephen King
Year: 2014
Mr. Mercedes is the first book in a crime/investigator trilogy by King, a different lane than the one he usually drives in, but a solid genre that he is definitely capable of handling regardless. It’s simply an unusual plot for him to plan, but really the method of his writing isn’t all that different, it just involves a different type of mystery, not a fantastic one but a more realistic one. Mr. Mercedes is good writing, and good crime, I guess, even if I kinda miss the horror and the fright.
At an early morning job fair, when the long line was still waiting to be let in, a Mercedes barrelled through, killing multiple people, maiming so many others. The killer simply drove away and dumped the stolen car, leaving no evidence behind, and, as with most serial killers, disappearing with no motive. But, again, as with most serial killers, he would eventually want to do it again, and his recent letter to the detective who failed to catch him just might be the key to his capture. Bill Hodges is back on the case, this time with his own life on the line and the end drawing nearer.
This almost felt to me like I missed reading a Bill Hodges book that I needed to have read to lead into this one. That doesn’t exist, but being dropped in on the case that didn’t get solved, with a grizzled veteran who we feel like we should know already, makes readers think that they missed something. Other than that, it’s a good intro, and a solid story overall. I do miss the fantasy, the mystery, this is simply crime and attempting to solve it, but King is King, and he’s the king, so no complaints there. Mr Mercedes is interesting, it’s brutal, it’s a little twisted, and it’s entertaining to read, but it’s just not super compelling; on to the next two in the trilogy, and we’ll see if, now that we know Hodges, our investment in the books improves.
My rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆